Cao De and the man leading the group walked to the roadside.
"Here, have a smoke." Cao De offered him a cigarette.
"You little brat. Why are you smoking at your age?"
"I just keep these to offer other people. I don't smoke myself." As Cao De handed over the cigarette, some Gold Soul Coins fell to the ground.
"You dropped something." Cao De picked up the few Gold Soul Coins and placed them in the man's hand.
The man accepted them without a change in expression. "How careless of me."
"I've already reached level ten, and I just want to hunt a hundred-year soul beast on the outskirts. I came in such a hurry that I forgot to find someone to help."
Cao De pressed a hand to his forehead helplessly, and a few more Gold Soul Coins accidentally fell to the ground.
"Big brother, you're being awfully careless. You dropped them again."
"Careless, so careless."
The man smiled until his eyes narrowed into slits.
After their friendly exchange, the two returned to the carriage.
"How did I not recognize you earlier? This is a distant relative of mine. You four, help my relative hunt a hundred-year soul beast."
"Thank you, then." Cao De thanked him politely.
Cao De entered the Soul Hunting Forest with a bewildered Xiao Wu and four equally bewildered soul masters.
"Brother, how did you suddenly become his relative?" Xiao Wu asked curiously.
"The ways of the world." Cao De patted Xiao Wu's head.
"What levels are you all?" Cao De turned to ask.
"I'm a level-thirty-two Soul Elder. The other three are all level-thirty-seven Soul Grandmasters," one man said.
"I'm your captain's relative. Just call me young master." As he spoke, four Gold Soul Coins flew toward them.
"Greetings, young master."
"Greetings, young miss." All four knew how to read the room and immediately changed their forms of address.
Cao De smiled without a word.
Beside him, Xiao Wu looked a little shy.
"Young master, what sort of soul beast would you like to hunt?" the man leading them asked.
Cao De considered it before answering.
"One with powerful attacks."
The Thousand-Blade Demon Sword was all offense and no defense, so any Soul Ring focused on attacking would do. He had a system anyway-he was a walking cheat.
"Yes, young master."
The group strolled through the forest's outskirts.
The few low-level soul beasts they occasionally encountered were scared off by the four guards.
"There's someone over there." The four surrounded Cao De and Xiao Wu protectively.
Cao De's pupils slowly turned red.
Basic Laser Eyes (Thermal Imaging Function)
An adult and a child were fleeing in panic, with a dog that looked almost like a pig trailing behind them and farting nonstop.
A huge snake pursued them.
The corners of Cao De's mouth curled upward.
The two being chased were Yu Xiaogang and Tang San.
"Brother, what are you smiling about?" Xiao Wu asked, puzzled.
"Come on. I'll take you to watch a show." Cao De took out a face mask and put it on Xiao Wu.
Protected by their four bodyguards, the two headed toward Tang San.
They found a high spot with a clear view of Tang San and Yu Xiaogang.
"What's that smell? It reeks!" The level-thirty-two man leading them pinched his nose.
Cao De took four more face masks out of his system space and handed them around.
He motioned for them to look down below.
Tang San was covering his crotch with one hand and his nose with the other.
"Teacher, isn't this a little too smelly?"
"The stink is what makes it powerful."
Yu Xiaogang directed Luo Sanpao.
"Hurry! We can't beat this Mandala Snake!" Yu Xiaogang urged Tang San.
Seeing Tang San's hand clamped over his crotch left Yu Xiaogang speechless.
He had already given Tang San excellent medicine for his injury. Applied last night, it should have left him mostly recovered by today.
That had been to ensure nothing went wrong during today's soul beast hunt.
Yet this idiot had actually put another Sleeve Arrow into his little brother.
Yu Xiaogang had no words.
As the Mandala Snake drew closer, Yu Xiaogang steeled himself.
He stepped in front of Tang San, grabbed him, and hurled him into the distance.
"Go! I'll hold it off!" Yu Xiaogang roared.
He commanded Luo Sanpao to block the lunging Mandala Snake.
He was gambling that Tang Hao was watching from the shadows.
If he lost that gamble, he would die, but Tang San would die too. At least he would have someone to accompany him to the grave.
If he won, Tang San would be eternally grateful, and Tang Hao would owe him a favor.
A ruthless gleam flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes.
Thrown through the air, Tang San landed flat on his stomach.
Pain instantly spread from the center of his body through every limb and bone.
Blood immediately stained the crotch of his pants red.
Yu Xiaogang, you ****!
Tang San cursed inwardly.
He turned and saw Yu Xiaogang fighting desperately against the Mandala Snake.
Gratitude flickered in his eyes.
Watching the show, Cao De suddenly sensed a presence.
He activated Basic Laser Eyes and scanned their surroundings.
Through his thermal vision, Cao De immediately spotted an intensely red figure standing on a distant treetop.
Cao De only glanced at him before looking away.
That red, with such vigorous blood and vitality-he could only be a Titled Douluo. Even thinking with his toes, Cao De knew that man was Tang Hao.
Cao De continued watching the show and ignored him.
He had considered killing Tang San before, but his fear of Tang Hao had held him back. It seemed his earlier suspicions had been right.
There was plenty of time to take things slowly. Tang San still had plenty of entertainment value.
Only after seeing Yu Xiaogang get bitten and lose consciousness from the poison did Tang San stand up. His hidden weapons were his secret; he could not let anyone find out about them.
Tang San flexed his wrist, and his eyes turned purple.
"Beast, you've chosen the path to death."
Hidden weapons flew from his Soul Tool toward the Mandala Snake's eyes and mouth.
The hidden weapons struck its scales with a series of metallic clinks.
Tang San took a piece of rabbit meat from his Soul Tool and threw it toward the Mandala Snake.
Smelling blood, the Mandala Snake swallowed it in one gulp.
Without even raising his head, Tang San began gathering his hidden weapons.
The Mandala Snake writhed continuously on the ground, purple liquid dribbling from the corner of its mouth.
Tang San finished collecting his hidden weapons at his leisure.
"Can I absorb this Soul Ring?" Tang San was uncertain.
"Teacher! Teacher!" Tang San hurried to Yu Xiaogang's side.
He checked for breath beneath his nose.
Good. He's not dead.
Tang San began rummaging through his Soul Tool.
With no more show to watch, Cao De finally turned away.
He found Xiao Wu's brows tightly knitted and her little face deathly pale.
"Xiao Wu, what's wrong?" Cao De asked anxiously.
"Brother, I feel awful."
Cao De scooped Xiao Wu into his arms in a princess carry and walked away.
Tang San taking out rabbit meat to feed the Mandala Snake had probably made Xiao Wu feel ill.
He found a clean spot and set Xiao Wu down.
"Here, have some water." Cao De took out a waterskin.
Xiao Wu shook her head.
Helpless, Cao De could only take a mouthful himself and pass it into Xiao Wu's mouth.
That worked remarkably well.
Xiao Wu's face flushed red, her earlier discomfort instantly replaced by flustered embarrassment.
"There are people here."
Xiao Wu murmured softly.
"Feeling better?" Cao De asked.
Xiao Wu nodded.
"I hate Tang San so much."
"I'll give him a good beating when we get back." Cao De patted her head.
The four bodyguards looked at one another. They had never even held a woman's hand, yet their young master was already enjoying mouth-delivered water.
All four wept inwardly.
"There's a soul beast," the man leading them told Cao De.
"What kind?"
If it had been an ordinary soul beast, they would have driven it away. This had to be one that met his requirements.
"A Mighty Male Ant. It should be five hundred years old. The markings on its body are strange, so it's probably mutated," the level-thirty-two Soul Elder said.
"Fine. This one, then." Cao De made his decision.
The four swiftly launched their attacks on the Mighty Male Ant.
The male ant possessed tremendous strength.
It took a direct hit from the Soul Elder and still emerged completely unscathed.
But the outcome was inevitable. Unlike Tang San's hair-raising Soul Ring hunt, this one ended with the beast barely clinging to life under the four soul masters' combined assault.
Cao De stepped forward, took a dagger from his system space, and stabbed it down through the ant's forehead.
Dark red blood sprayed out.
Cao De neither dodged nor flinched, allowing the blood to splash over him.
In a place where strength reigned supreme, he needed to get used to blood early.
He was mentally resilient and felt no discomfort.
"Brother." Xiao Wu's voice held a hint of urgency.
"I'm fine."
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